Prior art faucets, widely in use today, are typically of the kind whose underbody structures are made of a number of separate parts joined together to form a structure through which water may flow. The number of parts are generally provided with O-rings between them to help prevent water leakage. Generally, this water leakage prevention is not reliable possibly causing water waste, messy spillage and degradation of parts through corrosion from exposure to water. Even where the O-rings are successful in preventing leakage, eventually the soft rubber from which they are made may be corrupted by age and exposure to water.
Attempts to remedy these problems have been generally unsuccessful. In Liautaud U.S. Pat. No. 3,998,240, a plastic core, providing a plurality of pathways for water, is imbedded within an outerbody that serves as the exterior of the faucet. The Liautaud plastic core replaces the multiple tubular members of the typical faucet but is complex and seemingly difficult to manufacture. Leakage is likely better controlled in Liautaud than in the typical faucet but as the outer body serves as the exterior faucet and is also an element of the inner workings of the faucet, should breakage occur, the entire unit would most likely need replacing.
In Stuart, U.S. Pat. No. 3 ,520,325, a similar solution to Liautaud is presented. The device of the '325 patent is similar to Liautaud in that the exterior fixture is part of the inner workings of the faucet. Instead of having a plastic core, however, a metal conduit is provided. Here, as in Liautaud, the problem of replacing the entire fixture occurs and is compounded by the added cost of fabricating a metal core. Additionally, the problems of incompatibility of different materials, between the metal core and plastic exterior, exasperated by the corrosive nature of water and the forces of flowing water, could cause a rapid degradation of the system.
Because faucet housings are decorative they are relatively expensive and often match other fixtures in a bathroom or throughout a house. Fixtures are often bought together so that they match and make a pleasing combination in a room. The need to replace the entire Liautaud or Stuart device could prove expensive in that current matching fixtures would also need replacement, even though not broken, in order for them to continue to match. The ability to repair such fixtures by replacing inner workings instead of replacing entire fixtures, and all of the matching fixtures in a room, would be cost and labor efficient.
I have discovered a novel faucet having an underbody that is of a one piece design which is durable and leakproof and which can be efficiently and inexpensively replaced if damaged. When made modularly to fit a variety of current model faucet housings, the present invention would make the replacement of worn or broken faucet components a quick and easy task. Simply replacing an underbody instead of having a broken or leaking underbody examined, analyzed and repaired is less costly in labor, and provides a more durable leak proof repair needing less maintenance in the future. Also, the ability to replace the inner workings of a faucet which matches other fixtures alleviates the need for the costly replacement of all fixtures.
It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide a faucet with an underbody that is easy and inexpensive to manufacture, leakproof, modular in design and can be quickly and efficiently repaired by simple replacement.
It is a further object of the present invention to provide faucet underbodies for fixtures in current use, so that upon breakage of those fixtures, a single piece underbody can be inserted into the present housing, allowing that housing to be kept and the time and labor of replacement of the inner workings to be minimized.
Other objects and advantages of the present invention will become apparent as the description proceeds.